The Token Crossover
by Lady Eldaelen
Summary: Star Wars DBZ crossover. Set during Episode I: The Phantom Menace and following My Untitled Epic respectively. Birthday present for my roomie. Read THIS first.
1. THIS

**  
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away….**

After their planned mediation over  
trade negotiations fell through, Jedi Master  
Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi,  
foiled not only their own assassinations, but an attempt  
on the life of Naboo's ruler, Queen Amidala, as well. Suspecting  
darker forces at work, they convinced the Queen to return to Coruscant  
with them.

When their ship's hyperdrive was  
damaged, the group found themselves on  
the obscure little desert planet of Tatooine. There  
they befriended the slave boy, Anakin Skywalker, whom  
Qui-Gon believed to be the One to bring balance to the Force. Winning  
the Boonta Eve Pod Race as well as his freedom, Anakin chose to pursue his  
dreams of becoming a Jedi. He left his mother and his homeland behind and followed  
his new friends on their journey.

Back on Coruscant, Master Qui-Gon  
immediately sought guidance from the Jedi  
Council concerning both Anakin's fate as well as the  
growing possibility that the long-ignored Sith might have been  
behind their problems on Naboo. Likewise, Queen Amidala sought an  
audience with the Galactic Senate over her planet's trade difficulties. Unsatisfied  
with the Senate's ruling on her situation, Queen Amidala decided to return home, where  
she felt she was most needed.

The Council denied Qui-Gon's petition  
to take young Skywalker as an apprentice and  
instead order him and his Padawan to accompany Amidala  
home in hopes to uncover more behind her would-be assassin. They only   
wait now for the Queen's transport to be cleared for travel…

**  
At a different time, in a different galaxy far, far away… **

The 25th World Tournament brought  
out the best and worst Earth had to offer. Son  
Goku was allowed to return for a day after his death at the   
hands of Cell over seven years earlier. Also in attendance were the   
mysterious Supreme Kai as well as new minions of the evil wizard Babidi:   
Yamu and Soppovitch.

During the semi-finals, the two  
Majin-influenced henchmen successfully  
drained Son Gohan of his energy while his family  
and friends helplessly looked on. Along with collecting  
most of the necessary power needed to bring the universe's  
greatest threat, the evil creation Majin Buu, out of hibernation, the  
energy drain also infused Gohan with an evil magic poison.

The fight against Majin Buu pushed  
everyone to the max, and even that was almost  
not enough. Before Son Goku defeated the beast with  
a Spirit Bomb comprised of energy from the entire world, Earth  
and all it inhabitants had been destroyed by Buu and subsequently restored  
with the Namekian dragonballs.

A spar with the Saiyan Prince Vegeta  
three weeks later finally brought the poison  
in Gohan to light. Under its influence, Gohan tried  
to kill himself, but intervention by the Kais kept him from  
succeeding. Still horribly injured, he was taken to the sacred planet  
of the Kais. With support from family, friends, and most unexpectedly the  
Saiyan Prince himself, Gohan managed to pull himself out of the poison's darkness.

He returned to Earth a week later  
to continue his recovery at home. Almost  
three full months have passed and there remains  
just one more week until Dende's dragonballs are restored  
to power. One week until Earth forgets about Majin Buu. One week  
until the Z fighters can put their latest villain behind them. One week until  
Gohan can move on with his life…

* * *

A boy sheds silent tears for a father he doesn't know. A girl second-guesses her actions, wondering if she is doing the right thing. Elders dream of their children's futures, hoping all they have sacrificed is enough to keep their world safe. And he, he wonders what direction his life is heading in… What can he do with the folding hand life has dealt him? Is there anyone anywhere that understands the way he feels?

Two different stories, two different scenes. Nothing is related, but everything is the same. This is how they came together. This is what they learned.

* * *

_Hello world! Lady El' here! If you scroll down really slowly while reading the above, it's almost like being at the movies… _

_Anywho…_

_So… the world's bestest, most awesomest roommate and my personal resident Star Wars otaku --who happens to be my beta-- turned the big 2-1 in January. _

**_HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESS!!!_**

_About a year ago, while mulling over the mess that shall forever remain Untitled, I started thinking about what I was going to do for her birthday present. Having the **Epic **already outlined and over half-finished, my plotbunny-ing mind started thinking too far ahead and I was soon left with quite a bit of musings that followed the story's events, but not its timeline. _

_Inspiration struck me like lightning in Tampa. Jess reads all my musing scraps. She betas all my stuff. She lives and breathes Star Wars. I'm a closet Dragonball Z nut. What was more appropriate than the gift of the written word in the form of a SW/DBZ crossover? _

_For the next semester, I filled half a 'journal' with the beginnings of my endeavor. I hid it behind Fluids homework, amongst our room's five hundred Physics books, under my pillow for sleepy time… _

I'm reconnecting with myself_, I said. _I'm really going to finish a journal this time.

_In three years she's seen me start two. In three years she's seen me discard two. _

Yeah, whatever Sally_, she said. _

_Then I accepted an internship in California for seven months. I took a semester off school, resigned my RSA exec. board position, packed up my half of the room, and left for the west coast. I missed her birthday. I missed her in the school play. I missed her. But I never stopped writing. _

_She and another one of our friends, Matt, came to visit for their spring break. I told her she would get her belated birthday present when she got there. I gave her the partially completed journal. She promptly gave it back and told me to fill it up completely. _

_Three months later and I am just now getting around to posting the first bit. I told Jess this might just be her birthday present for the next hundred years. I'm shooting for finishing the story before I graduate (hopefully) spring '06. Unrealistically by the premiere of **Episode III** or SW Celebrations. Either way, it'll probably be a while. Expect long chapters and infrequent updates. I had the **Epic **completely written out before I started editing/posting and it took me five months to get the whole thing up. This beast isn't even a quarter of the way on paper. But I will complete this. For Jess if nothing else. _

_The DBZ half of the crossover picks up pretty much where the **Epic **left off. If you haven't read my **Epic**, you might get a little confused. The prologue is mainly just reintroducing everyone and getting their feelings on what all has happened during the three months since the **Epic'**s end -- but it doesn't directly recap the entire story. I am aiming for a more equal representation between the two fandoms, but I think the prologue was necessary to connect the stories together. _

_Now, I am just an average fan of Star Wars. I've seen all the movies and read some of the books… but that's about it. I did draw some information from the relevant books I have read, mainly the **Jedi Apprentice **series and the **Ep. I **novelization. **JA **chronicles Obi-Wan throughout the duration of his apprenticeship as a Padawan. It might be helpful to read summaries/overviews of these books -- or at least their back covers. I refer to a few of the more obvious events in the series, nothing too detailed. Yes, they're young reader-oriented, but I'd still recommend them to anyone (Obi-Wan's my favorite SW character!!). It's like reading happy little fanfictions that just happen to be canon._

_Anywho, the Star Wars half of the story picks up right in the middle of **Episode I: The Phantom Menace**. If you haven't seen **TPM**… you're living more under a rock than I am. That being said, I'm following the basic events of the movie and I'm not planning on going too AU with either fandom… not that crossing them over isn't AU already. I've seen a bit of DBGT (and read about it even more), and while I twitch at what I _have _seen (and read), it's still Dragonball in the loosest sense of the word. Vague references to GT events might pop up later -- hint, hint. _

_Enough of my rambling, even though that was the point of this prologue to the prologue. I don't care much for lengthy author notes, so I'm getting most of the big issues over with now… I have some corresponding fanart that I may or may not post sometime, depending on whether Jess approves since it is her present. _

_Although I've ripped out more hair and lost more brain cells over this story than I care to count, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. _

_And Jess better like it even more. This is the last story she's ever getting out of me. _

**_PS:_**_ None of either cash cow is mine. _

**_PPS: _**_I gave Jess the responsibility for naming the story. Until she figures out what to call it, I guess we're going with the random title I made up just so it wasn't **Untitled 2: Return of the Generic Story Name**. _

* * *

7/14/2004


	2. Prologue

**Birthday Fun for 21 **or **The Untitled Continuation Crossover **or **JediBall Squee!**

**By Lady Eldaelen**

--a disclaiming haiku from me and for you--  
These things are not mine:  
Star Wars and Dragonball Z.  
So sad but so true.

**  
Note: **This is a continuation of sorts of _My Untitled Dragonball Z Epic_. Titles are not my strong point. C'est la vie. Reading one story before the other might be detrimental to understanding the whole plotline. Consider yourself warned.

**  
  
Prologue**

**

* * *

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* * *

****

* * *

**

**[Earth]**

Gohan floated a few inches above the grass silently wondering why Piccolo would not allow him to levitate any higher. He had been meditating for years, most of the time under Piccolo's own guidance. If anyone would know his abilities, it should be his own teacher.

Anyone else might have underestimated his skills. Anyone else might have missed the subtle feelings Gohan was trying to conceal under his mask of meditation. Piccolo, however, wasn't just anyone. He wasGohan's closest teacher and he knew every single one of Gohan's abilities… as well as his limits and weaknesses. And _he _was the one hovering directly across from the eldest demi-Saiyan. Thanks to their finely tuned relationship, Piccolo easily picked out Gohan's frustration, impatience, and his slow but steady exhaustion.

It had been nearly four months since Buu had wreaked havoc on Earth, just over three months since Gohan had fought against the invisible Majin poison of Babidi's. Before returning to Earth, the kais had warned Gohan that he was not fully healed. The poison could not be removed and would stay with him until he died. Because of its constant influence in him, no one could say if Gohan would ever succumb to its effects again. That piece of news had hit everyone hard. In all essence, Gohan was now a ticking time bomb of potentially unsurpassable strength and danger. And no one knew what the trigger was.

They were safe for a while, thankfully. Gohan had really messed up his body and his recovery had been a slow and painful process -- one that had yet to be complete. Even though his injuries were no longer life-threatening, Gohan still slept more each day than he stayed awake, he still grimaced more than he smiled, and he still left food on his last plate after most meals. In spite of it all, however, things were finally starting to fall into a new routine. Goku and Vegeta sparred everyday, Goten and Trunks continued to get on everyone's nerves, and Chi Chi still kept a firm reign on Gohan's studies outside the classroom.

No one had expected Chi Chi to declare that Gohan could take a month off school after Buu was defeated. Yet that was exactly what she did, standing beside her newly returned husband on the newly recreated Lookout. She brushed off Gohan's halfhearted questions as to why he was all but forced into the impromptu vacation and then had Goku take them home. The rest of the Z fighters were left wondering why.

Piccolo had known why. For as well as he knew Gohan --more so than Gohan knew himself, probably-- Chi Chi knew her son even more. Piccolo did not need a mother to know how strong and accurate maternal instincts could be. Her senses had alerted her even then to keep an eye out for her son. She had been correct of course, but even Chi Chi had underestimated how deep the problem went. To this day, she still wondered if he really was okay.

He did not blame her. Piccolo had had the same feeling ever since Gohan returned from the Kai Planet. Aside from the severity and cause of injury, Gohan was acting very much the same as he did after fighting Cell. Piccolo remembered the length of time it took for the younger kid to bounce back from thatbattle. It was well after he had physically healed; Piccolo did not notice a truly happy Gohan emerge until after Goten was born.

Yes, Goten's birth had changed everything. Gohan's attitude spun around 180 degrees almost overnight. He took his job as big brother very seriously, and Piccolo was glad for Gohan's sake that it had paid off. Goten was a well-adjusted little kid, despite the recent changes in his life. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Gohan. This time, there was no little sibling that needed Gohan's continuously undivided attention. This time there was nothing to keep his mind off his inner turmoil. This time Gohan was on his own.

"Stop brooding and ask the question already."

Gohan looked up at his sensei almost guiltily. He dropped lightly to the ground and sighed.

"I'm sorry Piccolo. I just can't focus today. Every time I try to settle down, my brain goes off on some crazy tangent."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Everything… nothing… I don't even know anymore."

Piccolo simply nodded and waited for Gohan to continue. He knew he would; Goku's eldest had always needed to think through his problems a little before he eventually found an answer. For all the worrying Chi Chi did over her son becoming a scholar, in Piccolo's mind, he had been born one. Sure enough, Gohan piped up again a few moments later.

"I just don't know what I am supposed to do anymore. I mean, with Dad back… I never wanted to fight, you know that. I only did it because I had to. To protect. But now… Dad told me last night that he doesn't expect me or Goten to continue training unless we want to. That had been my dream for practically forever!"

Piccolo nodded again.

"So why do I feel like I am letting Dad down? Why does it feel wrong not to be forced to do something I would rather not do?"

"You are just afraid of what the future has in store for you."

"Piccolo, after what I've lived through, I'm not afraid of much of anything anymore. Except for Mom's frying pan… and Videl."

"What I mean is, for the first time, Gohan, you are in complete control of your life. That can be unnerving for anyone."

"I know."

"Then why did you ask me?"

"Because you told me to tell you what I was thinking about."

"You know what I mean, Gohan."

"Well, I was just hoping that I wasn't going crazy or anything."

"If you were going to go crazy, you would have done it a long time ago, kid."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Piccolo."

"That's what I'm here for."

Gohan yawned, stretched and winced all at the same time. He stood up and subconsciously pressed a hand to his injured side. The sun was just beginning its descent out of view; the sky was a brilliant shade of beautiful. Piccolo figured it was about time for Gohan to return home, but he felt the kid's hesitance to leave.

"We have been over this before, Gohan. You can't keep things bottled up. What else is bothering you?"

"Nothing really… I guess it just seems like I am the only one who ever has any problems. I know it's not true, but it certainly feels that way sometimes."

"You're right, it's not true. Everyone goes through rough times in their life."

"I know, but they probably do a better job at dealing with theirs."

Before Piccolo could answer, Gohan had called for that obnoxiously fluffy orange cloud of his father's. He waved at his mentor as his figure shrank into the horizon towards his home. Frowning, Piccolo returned to his own 'home' by the lakeside.

Meetings with Gohan were never enjoyable as of late, and they usually resulted in Piccolo's annoyance at himself for not being able to help him more. Foolish really, since all of Gohan's problems stemmed from his own mental barriers he had constructed long ago just to survive. To separate himself from the pain-inflicting lethal weapon everyone had molded him into. Willingly. Eagerly. Expectantly.

Gohan, the unenthused but hopelessly loyal tool of his elders. Gohan, a savior of the universe.

Piccolo wondered what in the world they all had been thinking. No one thought about what Gohan would do _after_ he defeated Cell. They forgot he had merely been following orders for all those years. Of course he would continue to do so. By that time, however, he had gotten so accustomed to it that anything less felt as foreign to him as the recessive blood lust that surged through him with every battle. Anything less would be meddling with emotions and ideas that were as contradictory as they very well should have been. Two inherent natures so similar yet so different: human and Saiyan.

Just reflecting on the responsibility that had once again been piled onto Gohan's shoulders made Piccolo shake his head with remorse. He tried to justify what he and Goku and Chi Chi and the others had done. There hadn't been time for anything else. Gohan had been available and willing (if only to please), and they had used him without any thought to his mental state, the state that _kept _him available, _kept_ him willing, _kept_ him in control.

No one had realized just how close he had always been to giving in and letting both 'halves' of himself loose to duke it out and balance out on his own. No one but Gohan himself had realized how deadly the results could be.

Of course it had taken an evil poison, another villain, and the return of his father to draw it out… but nothing in any Son's life had come easily. Piccolo knew that Gohan struggled with it daily, hourly, constantly, knowing he had to find equilibrium in himself. If he --the strongest and most damaged-- could not, what chance was it for the other two, for the ones who might follow? He had to set the example, as he always had, for Trunks and Goten to learn from.

Even in his most desperate time of personal need, Gohan still had to protect the ones around him. And Piccolo knew that the ones around him were contributing to the problem just as much as they tried to help.

* * *

**[Son Residence, Earth]**

It began the very first time he was old enough to realize what was going on. Gohan had only gone to the store for his mom, but to Goten, his big brother had left him. From then on, whenever Gohan went somewhere alone, Goten would mentally watch for his brother's return home so he could be ready to meet him outside on the front lawn. For a while, it was all he did, anxiously checking the clock, ignoring all else until he felt Gohan come back to him. To both Gohan and Chi Chi's relief, Goten gradually realized that his brother would not intentionally leave him for good and began doing things on his own when Gohan was away. He still kept an eye out for Gohan, but not quite as fanatically.

Ever since Gohan returned from that Kai place, however, Goten rarely let him out of his sight. And when Gohan started going off with Piccolo in the evenings, Goten resumed his obsessive tracking once more. He knew his mother worried that he was being too clingy, so he tried not to clock-watch in her presence. His dad knew about it though; Goku had questioned him point-blank on several occasions already as to why he was so restless. When Goten answered, he'd merely hugged him and reassured him that Gohan would be back. Sometimes Goku would even take him outside and they would lay in the grass and wait together.

Tonight, however, Goten was alone. He eagerly awaited for the telltale pull of Gohan's unsuppressed ki to draw closer to home. He had always known his brother was strong, but he had only recently learned just how much power Gohan had been hiding.

Gohan had kept a tight reign on his ki since before Goten was born. Painfully self-conscious of his power and eager to forget what that raw strength could do, he all but disappeared from ki-monitoring radar in the days following the Cell Games. Gohan soon realized he could not hide forever and gradually instinct took over until his new resting ki signature emerged. It was lower than Vegeta's --lower than most of the other Z fighters-- but still distinctly Gohan… it tended to fluctuate more in response to his feelings than the others. He never really put much thought into controlling it; ki suppression had been habitual second nature since he was six. He had done it for so long that he almost forgot it took energy to do. Energy that he could no longer spare as his body healed.

Gohan personally could not wait to recover if only to be able to squelch his highly broadcasted presence. He definitely preferred moving around unnoticed. Goten, on the other hand, personally could not imagine why his brother would ever want to hide. He liked knowing when his brother was around. He liked knowing he had such a strong force on his side. He liked the reassurance that came when he simply _felt _Gohan nearby… and it was so much easier to feel when Gohan did not suppress it.

There, he was almost home. Goten bounded out the front door to watch as Nimbus slowed to a stop on the front lawn. Gohan eased off and bid the cloud goodbye before turning to face him. Smiling, Goten ran up to his brother and waited expectantly to be acknowledged. He had promised not to 'sneak' or 'attack' Gohan until Gohan himself gave the okay to do so.

Goten was not as scatterbrained as others thought him to be. He had seen the results from Gohan's internal struggles. When no one was looking, when the others were busy tending to his wounds --for it often took more than one to help Gohan control the pain-- Goten would spy and catch glimpses of the burns that covered much of his brother's midsection. He was really too young to have to deal with such things, but Goten was also part of a martial arts family and an accomplished warrior in his own right. Injuries were to be expected, a natural side effect from battles and training.

Goten had had his fair share from playing around with Trunks. Gohan had always dealt with the most severe results of their childish antics with a Senzu bean or quick trip to Dende and a promise not to do that again. And, to his credit, Goten had always kept true to his words… the next time was always because of some _other _imagined scheme.

Now, however, the tables were turned. Gohan was the one that was hurt. He was the one who was forced to recover from a wound much deeper than all of Goten's put together. At least he and Trunks did stupid stuff to earn their hurts. Somehow, Goten could not think of any good reason why Gohan deserved his.

He laughed as Gohan ruffled his hair and gave him one of those all-encompassing Son grins. Goten threw his arms around his brother's legs and tried to channel all his happiness into that single hug, anything to lift Gohan's perpetually dimmed spirits.

It wasn't much but it was everything he had to give.

* * *

The distinctively enticing smell of their mother's cooking bombarded their highly sensitive nostrils the moment they entered the house. Goten immediately headed for the kitchen to find something to appease his empty stomach until the evening meal. Gohan followed, but only to tell his mother he would be resting until it was time to eat.

After kicking off his shoes, Gohan cast himself on his bed, not bothering to change into something more comfortable or even turn down the covers. He immediately dropped into a dreamless sleep, the rest of a recovering Saiyan. For the past three months he had done little else other than sleep and eat, interrupted by the occasional talk with Piccolo, the sporadic study session, and the even more infrequent chat with Videl. Gohan still did not know what to make of their relationship, but Videl was quite persistent in seeing him -- even though he was usually asleep when she came to visit.

He liked Videl, he truly did. She was his first romantic interest of any kind -- and despite all his insecurities and just plain ignorance of anything amorous, Videl actually liked him back. Before Gohan would commit to anything long term, though, he figured he had to work through his own personal problems. Above all, he would not let her get hurt because of his rather large assortment of emotional baggage.

Unfortunately, Videl did not see things the same way. She was quite happy to take Gohan as he was, mental health concerns and all. That was where they differed. That was where the problems began. Videl would inch closer and Gohan would pull away. As much as she tried to be there, he had kept her at arm's length. Gohan did not see that in trying to protect her from his pain, his cold shoulder was hurting her. In return, Videl would push harder to break through his defenses, which caused Gohan to separate further.

It was a vicious cycle, especially considering their individual stubbornness, patience, and sheer will to not back down. It frequently left Gohan confused to the point of exhaustion. Then he would end up passed out on his bed, quite similar to how Goku found him before dinner.

* * *

Goku shook his son's shoulder gently, trying not to wake him too abruptly. It was darkening outside the bedroom windows and night would soon be upon them.

"Gohan… Gohan, wake up."

The sleeping figure frowned and pulled away from the shaking grip. Tired eyes blinked open and searched for the source of their wakening. His dad's concerned face greeted him with a grim smile as he sat up.

"Dinner is almost ready, son."

Gohan nodded, already pulling off his shirt. He perched on the corner of his bed and started meditating, not moving even when the door creaked opened and Vegeta strode in, his upswept flame of hair flecked with beads of water from a shower. Goku produced a tray of sundry medical stuffs and the group continued a process that began over three months ago when Gohan returned home.

With quick, methodical motions, Vegeta deftly removed the dressings covering Gohan's torso. Goku handed him various supplies without a word spoken between them; after three months, he knew exactly what to do. He kept one eye on what he passed to Vegeta and another on his son, watching closely for any change in his demeanor. Today, thankfully, Gohan remained deep inside himself, carefully managing his pain the only way he knew how after years of pushing his body past its limits.

The longer he trained and the more he fought, Gohan just started to ignore the sensation of pain. Looking back, he realized that pain was all relative anyways. He remembered a time in his life when he had cried over a scraped knee. He cried not because he was weak, but because at that instant, it was the biggest hurt he had ever felt. Later he remembered standing off with Cell, forgetting about his aching muscles and insane fatigue because he was too busy trying to ignore the horrendous pain that was his shattered shoulder. The pain that enveloped his torso now, pulsing always in time with his heartbeat, wasn't the worst Gohan had experienced, but it definitely had stuck around the longest… and it was wearing everyone down.

"We're finished, son."

Knocked out of his meditation, Gohan struggled to keep from gasping as the pain once again surfaced full force. With his eyes squeezed shut, he nodded in what hopefully was in the direction of his father's voice as he lowered his arms.

Satisfied that Gohan made it through the night's round of torture, Goku stayed just long enough to help Vegeta clean up before he headed for his own room to shower. He always let Vegeta freshen up first when they returned from a spar. Through a twisted sort of deference to his prince, or simple guest hospitality, he never really thought about. It just worked out that way.

In retrospect, he never really asked Vegeta for help, nor had the prince actually offered his assistance in dealing with Gohan, either. Once they returned from the Kai's, the two Saiyans had immediately begun a daily sparring session and a twice-daily round of medical care for the eldest demi-Saiyan. Nothing was said about it, and nobody questioned it.

Not even Chi Chi interfered with the treatment of her baby. She simply kept the supplies Vegeta requested in stock and made sure there was food waiting when they were finished. Chi Chi doubted she would have been able to do anything if she wanted to anyway; she got the feeling Goku had been shielding her away from the situation as much as possible. Her maternal vigil over her son stretched throughout the rest of the day, and in all honesty, she was quite thankful she did not have to deal with that particular part of Gohan's recovery.

* * *

Vegeta finished gathering the used med stuffs and absentmindedly tossed the bundle out Gohan's open window. He shot a small ki ball with a flick of his wrist, neatly incinerating the garbage before it hit the ground. Pulling the curtain closed, his thoughts turned food as his body turned to face the door. Unfortunately, as it usually was with Vegeta, his stomach's primal urges were silenced by his brain's insistence to properly assess the other occupant in the room.

Gohan remained in the same spot he had been in since Vegeta first entered the room, in the same exact position since he last lowered his arms, holding in the same breath of air he had taken then. That in itself did not worry the prince; he knew Gohan's endurance rivaled his own pure Saiyan abilities. No, what bothered Vegeta was the look on Gohan's face, one of concentration so hard it looked painful… or was it the other way around?

Vegeta tentatively poked a finger at Gohan's shoulder before quickly stepping away. Gohan cracked his eyes open as he drew in a deep breath. He blinked away the last traces of pain before focusing on his elder, but Vegeta saw it all the same.

"Is it time to eat?"

Nodding, Vegeta began heading towards the door again but he paused when Gohan did not follow.

"I think I'm going to lie down for a while. Please tell my mom I'm not hungry."

"The pain is getting worse?"

"Yeah."

"That is a sign of healing."

"I know."

"Eating keeps your strength up."

"I know that too."

Vegeta shrugged his shoulders and said no more. The boy was old enough to take care of himself. It was convincing his mother that was the problem.

* * *

Chi Chi looked up from spooning soup into a bowl as Vegeta entered the kitchen… alone. She slammed the ladle on the table, showering the area with noodles and broth. Goten, who had been sitting quietly in his chair waiting to eat, ducked under the table to avoid the well-seasoned shower. Feeling his mother's fiery ki, he decided to remain there for a bit.

Goku, who also waited to begin feasting, took his wife's outburst full on, not moving as a few soggy noodles embedded themselves in his hair. He knew what was coming --had seen it a mile away-- and he really did not feel like dealing with it tonight. Chi Chi gripped the edges of the table, struggling vainly not to rush to her son's room and give him a piece of her mind.

"This can_not _continue, Goku. He has to _eat_."

"I know, Chi Chi."

"I know you know Goku. You're his father, do something about it. Get him in here before I go there."

Goku carefully extricated the renegade pasta from his spiky coif as he stood. He threw them in the sink before placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. She stiffened at his touch and beat him to the punch.

"I don't want to hear you say you won't force him. This isn't battle, Goku. This is his health. I will not stand by and let Gohan starve himself to death!"

Goten resisted putting his hands over his ears to block out the argument. It never did any good, and it was such a childish thing to do. Instead, he slowly crept out from under the table away from his parents and towards the hallway. Once he passed the chair legs, he spotted Vegeta leaning against the far wall, eyes closed and arms crossed. The prince rarely dined with the Sons in the evenings, but once he had it in his mind to do so, he did. Unless his mom started throwing dishes, Goten knew Vegeta would wait for quite a while to eat. With or without the rest of his family.

_"He's not starving himself, Chi Chi!"_

Making it to the safety of the corridor, Goten left his parent's arguing and cracked open the first door on the left, not bothering to knock. He scooted inside and quickly closed the door, although it did little to block the noise from the kitchen. No lights were on, but that did not bother him. Goten easily maneuvered to the window where he felt his brother was standing. With a small flare of his ki, he floated up about eye level to Gohan's shoulders, hoping his brother wasn't too mad that he didn't knock first.

_"Don't tell me you think his appetite has been perfectly normal since this happened."_

Gohan ruffled his brother's hair as the little kid drew up alongside him. Goten really was small. Gohan mused that he had been that short once too, although thoughts about his childhood were usually sort of vague and detached… like he was seeing it through someone else's eyes. Except for the battles, of course, and the training... the deaths… those Gohan remembered in agonizing detail. Maybe that was why the rest of his life seemed so surreal; there were just too many bad experiences he recalled better than good.

His only hope now was that Goten would not look back on his life the same way. With memories he wished were not his own. Gohan's hand dropped from his brother's head to his shoulder and he pulled him close to his side. Together they stared out at the moonless sky.

"I'm sorry Goten."

_"I never said that."_

Goten peered up at his brother, warily taking in his worried frown and wistful expression.

_"Then don't pretend that there is nothing wrong with him!"_

"For what?"

"For this. For the arguments, the tension… it's the last thing I expected or wanted to happen."

_"He says he's not hungry. I believe him. Gohan can take care of himself. He's been able to do so for a long time now." _

"All Mom wants you to do is eat."

"I know."

_"But he never should have had to!" _

"So why don't you?"

A pause. Gohan sighed and Goten waited.

_"Do you think I _wanted_ Gohan to go through all of that? Those weren't games we were playing, Chi Chi."_

"It's not that simple, squirt. I wish it was, but it's not."

_"Of course they weren't Goku. But that was then and this is now. I will _not_ let my son fall through the cracks again!"_

"Why not? What makes it so hard?"

In spite of the situation, Gohan had to grin at his brother's childish innocence. He tried to answer in a way he thought Goten would understand, but it was not to be. Gohan remained quiet, and Goten's questions went unanswered.

Approaching footsteps caused both boys to involuntarily flinch as their mother's voice rose to a new level. The door burst open, one of the hinges creaking and finally breaking under Chi Chi's mighty push. She stood in the doorframe, hands on her hips, trying her hardest to keep her frustrations below raging flood level.

Gohan calmly pulled Goten down behind him and kept eye contact with his mother. He could see his dad just behind her and neither one looked too happy.

"I am only going to say this once. Gohan, I want you to come out and eat with us. I don't care if you are not hungry. One full meal is all I ask right now."

"No."

The shock etched on Chi Chi's face could have frozen stone.

"Why don't you just listen to Mom, Gohan?!"

From behind Gohan's legs, Goten uncharacteristically expressed his own shock verbally. Annoyed at his stubbornness, Goten floated up to stare his brother in the eye. For the first time since he was born, Goten was mad at him. Really mad.

"What is _your _problem? YOU always tell _me _to listen to Mom!"

Gohan remained silent. He took Goten by the shoulders and gently relocated him --still in the air-- over to the side. Keeping his eyes on the floor, he walked past his parents and out of the room.

Still upset, Goten growled and resumed staring out the window. Chi Chi sighed and leaned against the doorframe. Goku, however, was far from satisfied with what had happened. He kept his voice low, but not reassuring.

"Did you have to do that, Chi Chi?"

"Do what?"

"He left!"

Goku and Chi Chi glanced over to the window where their younger son was pointing. A pale streak of light disappeared over the trees, the afterimage still glowing. Gohan was gone.

* * *

From his vantage point in the air, the highly annoyed demi-Saiyan easily honed onto his sensei's location under the shelter of an immense pine tree. Not bothering to wait for a stupid response to the unexpected visit, Gohan came to a quick stop and flopped down under the tree in a huff.

Leaning uncomfortably against the thick trunk he sulked, eyes narrowed, face set in a scowl, arms gingerly crossed in front of his chest. Piccolo watched him carefully, keeping his slight amusement from showing. There Gohan sat, a pretty good replica of Trunks in a bad mood, practically daring Piccolo to ask what was bothering him. Never mind the fact that he had just shown up out of the blue -- or in this case darkening crimson as the sun finished setting. Never mind the fact that they had just seen each other a few hours earlier. Never mind the fact that he was tired and sore; his sudden burst of anger seemed to have numbed his senses as well as his rationality.

Unfortunately for Gohan's temper tantrum, the ex-kami still had the patience of a higher deity and he kept right on looking at his ruffled student, his own face a picture perfect display of neutral passivity. Piccolo had given him no chance to win the impromptu staring contest. His frustration ballooning at his master's tenacity, Gohan broke a lot faster than Piccolo expected, exploding in an exasperated sigh.

"I can't take them anymore!"

"Who?"

"Who?! My family, that's who. They are all against me -- even Goten now! They don't trust me with anything!"

Piccolo grunted and sauntered over to Gohan's tree. He leaned against the wide trunk and crossed his own arms in front of his chest. Somehow he figured he was going to be there for a while.

"I never said families were easy to live with, kid."

"You can say that again… Tonight it was over food. I'm not hungry. I don't eat when I'm not hungry. Mom knows that -- I get it from her! But just because I'm hurt, she wants to stuff me like a turkey. I swear if Dad wasn't around she would probably shove the food down my mouth herself."

Piccolo laughed in spite of himself and settled into a more comfortable cross-legged position floating lower next to Gohan. While he had plenty of respect for the woman who managed the lives of the three Son males, Piccolo understood perfectly what Gohan was trying so delicately to say. Chi Chi took maternal responsibility to a completely new level… and woe be the one to disagree with her ways.

"Kid, you've lived with her this long and she's just now starting to bother you?"

Gohan grunted but refrained from saying any more. He shifted uneasily, gradually seeing the underlying truth in his friend's words. One sentence and Piccolo had pegged the problem head-on. Well, that was why Gohan sought him out in the first place.

"She never _bothers_ me… that's just how Mom is. She wouldn't _be_ Mom if it was any different… It's more like -- I mean I…"

"You're tired of the constant attention."

"Exactly!"

Piccolo relaxed as Gohan visibly brightened. It was happening more and more often now as the demi-Saiyan recovered. Little glimpses of the real Gohan --Gohan the person, not Gohan the perfect son or Gohan the doting brother-- were emerging as his inner ailments healed along with his outer ones. Piccolo knew he saw more than most, for it was always harder to change the perception of the ones closest to the situation. And while the Sons were a more understanding family than most, Gohan had always been more truthful about himself around Piccolo.

Finding his anger dissipating quicker than he expected, Gohan fiddled with the edge of his shirt. Embarrassment pinked his cheeks, and even though it was too dark to notice, he dropped his head and studied his feet. They were bare. In his haste to escape, he had left without any thought of socks or shoes.

"I really overreacted, didn't I?"

"Your loss of appetite isn't the only thing you inherited from your mother, kid."

Piccolo allowed a corner of his mouth to turn upward just a hair in response to the shy grin Gohan offered. The crisis over, he floated higher and eased over to the other side of the tree, resuming the reflecting that Gohan's visit interrupted. He didn't push his thoughts too deep, listening instead as the kid collected himself and made his way over to him.

Gohan's bare footfalls would have been silent to anyone other than the Namek before him. He also knew he could wait all night for Piccolo to actually acknowledge his presence. It still didn't ease his hesitance to speak up.

"Umm… would it be okay if I stayed here for a little longer? I don't think I want to go home just yet…"

Piccolo cracked open one eye and grunted.

_Why do you even bother asking kid? _

Gohan grinned again, the starlight reflecting off his pale skin just enough to reveal his genuine relief. He dropped to the ground next to his old master and, following Piccolo's lead, rediscovered himself once more in the company of his closest friend.

* * *

* * *

**[Senatorial Plaza, Coruscant] **

A single light shone near the bed, but the spacious and richly furnished room was far from empty. A young woman slowly brushed through her long golden brown hair. She wore a simple silk sleeping gown, a sharp contrast to the ornate dresses that hung from a movable rack by the door. Several large trunks were lined up next to the rack, like well-trained troops waiting for battle instructions.

In some ways, it felt like going to war for the girl. Yes, she still was just a child, only sixteen. Just because she was a queen… a queen too far from home… did not mean she felt like one all the time.

The girl finished with her hair and shoved the brush into a travel bag. She frowned as she reflected on the meeting she had just finished.

_Senator, this is your area. I feel I must return to mine… My fate will be no different from that of our people… I've decided to go back to Naboo… _

Her ship would be ready in four hours. Then she could go home.

Sighing deeply, Padmé allowed herself to lie back on the royal-sized bed. To say that the day had been stressful would be like saying that Tatooine was dusty. Padmé wondered about the ethical ramifications if she were to add a clause in Naboo's constitution enforcing a strict eight-hour workday for the queen. This royal way of life was getting to be a little extreme.

She could not remember the last time she had a full night of sleep, especially one in her own bed. It took a lot to maintain her roles as Queen Amidala _and_ the elusive handmaiden Padmé -- especially with Jedi around. Two Jedi in particular seemed destined to remain by her side whether she liked it or not. If they hadn't protected her so well on their journeys away from Naboo, Padmé would have been inclined to not like it at all.

The younger one, Obi-Wan, was getting suspicious. Then again, ever since they met, Padmé felt he was much more edgy overall than any Jedi she had encountered before. She thought that peace and tranquility were two of the Jedi building blocks for life. Perhaps that was why he was still a Padawan… although he held the air and gaze of a much older Jedi that had made Padmé squirm on more than one occasion.

His master was far too independent for her tastes as well. To think that he thought the queen need not find out of his wild antics in the city they visited. To think she had actually _allowed _him to do such things! Yet Padmé _had_ allowed Qui-Gon to do them… and she would continue to trust both Jedi… all Jedi… for as long as necessary. After seeing all that had happened concerning Anakin, how could she not?

Anakin Skywalker was a different story altogether. The funny little boy from Tatooine had stolen her heart. Padmé wondered when he was to begin Jedi training; the last time she had seen Anakin was when he had come to say goodbye to handmaiden Padmé earlier that afternoon. She did not doubt his chances at getting into the Order; if Qui-Gon's confidence were any marker, Annie would be knighted by his next birthday.

Scowling to herself, Padmé forced her brain to stop thinking so much. Four hours would pass quickly and she wanted to make to best use of that time. Sabé was already doing her job as Queen so Padmé could get some rest. Yes, a nice, long, four-hour nap was just what the healer ordered.

The galaxy's troubles slipped from her thoughts and Padmé quickly fell into the deepest sleep she'd had in weeks.

* * *

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**_  
Author's Note: _**_sweet cuppin' cakes! I actually got around to posting this beast. Not too much Star Wars yet, just a little Padmé teaser. _

_Quick timeline status: at the close of the prologue, it's dinnertime/evening on both Earth and Coruscant. Keep in mind Padmé is only planning to take a four-hour nap, not a full night of sleep._

* * *

7/14/2004


	3. Chapter 1

**Birthday Fun for 21 **or **The Untitled Continuation Crossover **or **JediBall Squee!**

**By Lady Eldaelen**

--a disclaiming haiku from me and for you--  
Star Wars is not mine.  
DBZ isn't either.  
That's why it's _fan_fic.

**Note:** This is a continuation of sorts of **My Untitled Dragonball Z Epic**. Titles are not my strong point. C'est la vie. Reading one story before the other might be detrimental to understanding the whole plotline. Consider yourself warned.

**  
  
Chapter 1 **

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**[Son Residence, Earth]**

Sitting on the couch in the darkened living room, Goku waited. He had stayed up most of the night waiting for Gohan to return home and he would continue to do so until he was back in his bed. Gohan had been spending most evenings with Piccolo for weeks now, but he wasn't usually this inconsiderate about the time. Goku knew that whatever they were doing was probably justified and necessary for Gohan's continued healing, but… well, he was almost getting irritated.

There were a lot of things Goku knew went way over his head. He had spent the first five years of his marriage simply observing his wife, learning what it meant to be a spouse and later, a parent. He wasn't too much different than Vegeta in that respect, actually. Yet he had also spent the last seven years in his death analyzing what he could have done differently.

Goku subconsciously tightened his hold on the precious cargo he cradled. Chi Chi had long ago fallen asleep in his arms waiting for their son to return home, and now, staring down at her still-beautiful features, Goku gave thanks to all the kais he had ever met. He would not waste this second chance at life.

His death was the catalyst for many of his family's past problems. And while his sudden return had brought its own hurdles, Goku knew it was his responsibility to set things back on track. He would make up for lost time. He would be the husband he should have been to Chi Chi and he would be the father he should have been to both his kids.

Solidifying his unspoken vow yet again, Goku focused his thoughts anew to monitoring the older of his kids. Gohan had yet to open up fully to him but Goku wasn't particularly worried. One of his frequent thought topics in the Otherworld had been how well he knew Gohan. And when he was brutally honest with himself, Goku realized that it wasn't well at all.

Sure, he could pick apart Gohan's fighting techniques, list his personality strengths and weaknesses, and even name a few of his favorite foods. But knowing the real Gohan --the Gohan that Chi Chi and Piccolo and Goten knew-- Goku had never known that. He was just starting to get the hang of the whole parenting concept when they took that fateful trip to Master Roshi's and ran into his brother Radditz. It had gone downhill from there. Gohan never grew out of his childhood idyllic adoration of his dad and Goku was too busy making sure everyone stayed alive to deepen their relationship much past student-trainer.

With such weak ties to begin with, Goku knew it would take time for Gohan to come around. His son had matured without him; he couldn't expect their relationship to do the same.

* * *

**[Gravity Room, Capsule Corporation, Earth]**

Half a country away, another man also kept tabs on his family in the dead of night. His mate was not in his arms, nor all his thoughts centered completely on his son, but Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans, was monitoring them in his own way.

Finishing his last set of punches, Vegeta turned off the gravity generator and shook out his arms. As he waited for the room's conditions to return to normal, his thoughts turned once more to his most frequented thought topic in months.

Gohan.

Why he had spent so much of his time dwelling on the well-being of his rival's eldest was beyond Vegeta. There was no logical explanation as to how he had even allowed the third-class twit to even set foot inside his mental doorway. But it had happened and Vegeta hated it. He hated himself for it. He could feel his hard-earned training going to waste with each passing second.

These thoughts, this _concern_… it was making him weak.

No, he mentally reasoned with himself, it was acceptable --it was empowering-- to think of others as well as one's self. It was Kakarott's most potent weapon against his enemies. It was what he had finally understood when he faced off against Buu.

It was why he hadn't killed himself or anyone else for thinking about Gohan so much in the first place.

He still hated it.

Back inside the house, Vegeta growled as he wrenched the shower on. Gohan had better return to health soon or Vegeta would soon not be held accountable for any destruction that might occur. There he went again, the pointlessly repetitive track interrupting his usually normal thoughts of training, Bulma, food, and Trunks.

Easing tense muscles under the scalding hot water spray, Vegeta conceded to his thoughts and let them run their course. Hopefully he could go to sleep in relative peace if he did.

He had surprised himself as much as anyone when he shouldered the responsibility of Gohan's physical recovery with Kakarott. Vegeta doubted a human doctor would have been much help had Kakarott's mate actually allowed her son to see one. She and Bulma had long ago seen the futility in subjecting their children to the human medical field. Bulma had equipped Capsule Corp with a top-notch infirmary ever since Vegeta had taken up residence, and he knew the Sons were welcome to use it as well. Not that they ever did; none of the kids had gotten sick to Vegeta's knowledge, and Chi Chi handled any training injuries of Goten's rather well on her own. Gohan could take care of himself -- when he got around to training at all.

This past saga involving the elder spawn, however, was far out of Chi Chi's league. He doubted even Bulma and her father's abilities when it came to such extensive ki injuries as Gohan's. Being one of the most qualified to deal with the problem, it never really crossed Vegeta's mind until after he had begun helping as to why he started in the first place.

He'd never say it out loud, but he cared for the boy. The half-hearted excuse of a warrior had long ago won Vegeta's respect and if anyone had been able to see inside his mind, they would have said Gohan had even grown on him… a little. Barely. But it was there.

He should have just let the Briefs try to invent Gohan's way out of danger. Bulma had been talking about recreating a regen tank for years, but the planet's most extensive genetics research had been destroyed when his future son had incinerated that quack Gero's lab. It had taken that psycho a lifetime to collect enough information to support his work. Without his insight, it would take at least that long to rebuild the framework necessary for even something as simpler regen tank.

His shower finished, Vegeta pulled on a pair of Capsule Corp. sweats and a tank top, a towel draped around his shoulders to catch any remaining water from his damp hair. Pleased with himself that he had civilly thought through some of his frustrations --and slightly angered that they were still unresolved-- he headed towards the bedroom he shared with Bulma. Without even thinking about it, he focused on Gohan's ki. He was with the Namek again.

_No doubt sorting through his own web of jumbled brainwaves…_

Sometimes Vegeta wished he could make all his problems disappear.

Hand on the bedroom door, Vegeta stiffened as his senses… hiccupped. There really was no other way he could describe it, it was as if his ki sense just blipped. Now something felt extremely off.

Immediately feeling out for Trunks, Vegeta relaxed a hair as he felt his son undisturbed in his room. It took just a moment longer to register what was so wrong. Had he been wearing his usual training attire, the crowned prince would have been startled out of his spandex.

Gohan and the Namek were gone.

* * *

**[Son Residence, Earth]**

Before he could fall into a deeper internal analysis of the present situation, something unusual and entirely unexpected took Goku by surprise.

The steady, low presences of Gohan and Piccolo vanished.

Their kis just disappeared, winking out like the soft twinkle lights Chi Chi had strung along the backyard porch eaves. The twinkle lights, however, always blinked back on. After several minutes, Goku failed to sense Gohan and Piccolo reappear.

Without waking Chi Chi, he gently extricated himself from his spot on the couch and set off to find out what in the world was going on. He didn't have to look far. A few moments later, Goku felt two totally different forces appear very close to him. A quick search of the house produced two sleeping people --no, _children_-- in Gohan's room. A young girl no older than Gohan slumbered in his bed. A boy around Goten and Trunks' age rested curled up alongside her.

Goku did not know what to do. Gohan still remained out of his ki radar but he was not about to start searching for him alone. The strangers were sleeping now, but for how long? Goku would not risk leaving Chi Chi and Goten with so much unknown. Yet the two unfamiliar children looked so peaceful, he decided to let them be for the moment. Committing their ki signatures to memory, he went outside and waited for the one he felt was on the way. Vegeta would know what to do.

* * *

Vegeta appeared over the treetops minutes later. He landed softly and waited for Kakarott to explain what was going on.

"I don't know what happened, Vegeta. I was waiting for Gohan to come back from his time with Piccolo when their kis just disappeared. Now there are two strange kids sleeping in Gohan's room."

Vegeta eyed the taller Saiyan carefully. Since none of the Sons could a lie to save their lives, he knew Kakarott was telling the truth, bizarre as it was.

"So there are two strange creatures in your son's room."

"Yes."

"You did not wake them?"

"No."

"You left them inside with your mate and other son?"

"Yes."

"Kakarott?"

"Yeah, Vegeta?"

"You are an idiot."

Vegeta moved to head towards the house. Just when he thought Kakarott could not be any stupider…

"Wait, Vegeta."

_He goes and proves me wrong._

Vegeta paused mid-step and glared at the fool behind him. Kakarott remained quiet, which only infuriated the uneasy prince more. Which only made him more angry at himself for coming all the way out here to begin with.

"Wait for what? For them to attack? To take over the planet?"

"They're sleeping."

"So what?"

"Let them sleep."

What was Gohan to him anyway? What was anyone to him except Trunks and Bulma? What was he thinking? Vegeta grunted and continued towards the house.

"They're just kids, Vegeta."

The Prince whirled around, a fiery glint in his eyes.

"Your son was just a kid when I came to Earth the first time. He was just a kid when he went up against all four of Frieza's forms. Trunks and Goten were just kids when they fought Buu. I do not underestimate anything anymore."

* * *

Vegeta stalked inside the Son residence. He headed straight for Gohan's room, ignoring Chi Chi's stirring presence on the living room couch. Goku followed close behind the shorter Saiyan, unsure of Vegeta's motives and unwilling to have a full-scale battle under his own roof.

Vegeta stopped short of actually opening the door, his senses scanning the area inside. Two low, human-level kis, healthy and sleeping. Deeply sleeping.

Nodding more to himself than anything or anyone else, he reached for the door handle. A hand pulled his arm away. He followed the offending appendage to Kakarott.

"Do not worry Kakarott, I will not wake them."

Goku relaxed.

"Unless it is necessary."

The taller Saiyan's eyes widened at Vegeta's humor-filled smirk but it was too late. He had already opened the door.

* * *

The memories hit him before he could register the stimulus that caused them to return. Years spent traveling in the empty void. The only place he felt truly comfortable. It was a sensation he could never forget.

Gohan's room was drenched with it.

The smell of Outer Space.

More meaningful and nostalgic than the scent of his grandma's cookies for Trunks. More soul-stirring than the scent of his own mate and son.

In the small bedroom under his rival's residence, Vegeta returned home.

* * *

Vegeta took several deep breaths and his eyes glinted with a faraway look Goku had seen only one other time before. Before Frieza killed him. After several minutes of simply standing, he slowly approached the bed. Kneeling down he spent a few moments watching the strangers. Then he left.

Goku hurriedly followed suite, quietly closing the door behind him.

Vegeta was leaning against the kitchen wall, so deep in thought that even Goku knew not to bother him. Which was probably a good thing, for not too far from the where they stood, Chi Chi was now awake… and sleepily demanding to know why Vegeta was in her kitchen.

* * *

"They did what?!"

Goku stepped back a few feet from his steaming wife. Chi Chi paced around the kitchen table, sorting through the news her husband had given her. Vegeta leaned against the wall, smirking at Chi Chi's reaction. He did enjoy watching her get all inflamed over anything. It was so easy to rile up Kakarott's family.

"Goku, are you sure Gohan is gone?"

"Yes. Piccolo too."

"Well, where did they go?"

"I-I don't know, Chi Chi. Neither Vegeta nor I can feel them."

"But they're not dead?"

"I don't think so. It was almost like they transported somewhere."

"They probably went to the place the strangers in Gohan's room came from."

Goku and Chi Chi both turned angry eyes to Vegeta. If there was one thing better than watching a Son temper tantrum, it was personally adding fuel to the fire. Vegeta liked fires.

"What… _strangers… **are**… **in**… **GOHAN'S**… **ROOM?!?!**_"

With each word, Chi Chi took another step towards her husband. With each step, her voice rose to a new level. With each new level, Goku shrank under his wife's gaze a little bit more.

Feeling as small as a Senzu bean, Goku could have sworn the walls shook as Chi Chi finished asking her question. It was a miracle the kids didn't wake up.

It was a miracle the windows didn't shatter.

Vegeta's face remained stony and impossible to read, but inside he was laughing his royal behind off. The ringing in his ears was well worth watching the raging inferno he helped start.

_That woman could pass as a full-blooded Saiyan any day._

When Goku failed to supply a suitable answer, Chi Chi changed tactics. She kept her sights on Goku and headed for her sons' bedrooms. She checked on Goten first, kissing his forehead and fixing the blanket that was halfway off the bed from his midnight turning. Closing the door quietly behind her, she ignored Goku and Vegeta's presence in the hall and entered Gohan's room.

Chi Chi struggled to keep from fainting when she saw that Gohan truly was not there. Indeed there were two strangers -- just children, really-- in her son's bed, a boy not much bigger than Goten, and a girl who could not have been older than Gohan. Unlike her sons as of late, they both looked rather peaceful as they dreamed in a place they certainly would not recognize once they woke.

Chi Chi nodded and left, keeping the door open so the two that followed her inside could make a silent exit as well. She returned to her kitchen and put the kettle on to warm; tea always made her feel better.

Vegeta took up residence along the back wall while Goku uneasily slid into a chair. Both men diverted their eyes from the glares they received from Chi Chi as she moved around the kitchen. After a while of being ignored, she gave up trying to get a response from them and instead began giving her own input.

"Someone better start explaining right now."

* * *

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**[Obi-Wan's Room, Jedi Temple, Coruscant]**

_A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…_

Peaceful impressions slowly lifted, bringing Obi-Wan to a more conscious state than his previous slumbering. He hesitated to pull himself completely awake, relishing the brief moments of tranquility he could before the chaos of the rest of the day began. Unfortunately or not, Obi-Wan's internal alarm clock played a more insistent tune -- and in his mind, it was much too early.

Rolling over on his sleep couch, Obi-Wan stared blindly at the ceiling in his unlit room. His few hours of rest had left him feeling marginally rested, but he knew he needed plenty of meditation to feel 'refreshed'. Hopefully he would be able to do so on the way to Naboo. Maybe he could find a nice storage bin to ride in during the trip. Away from prying eyes and annoying tagalongs.

It was not that Obi-Wan had a thing against kids. No, he actually enjoyed helping out the Masters who tended to the younger Temple students. Maybe it was because he just met Anakin, but he simply rubbed Obi-Wan the wrong way. Anakin was a kid… as far as kids went. Obi-Wan could tell he had some deep emotional issues, even before he got his life story from Qui-Gon.

Maybe it was the way his master had taken to the kid. Even when he was out of sight, Qui-Gon's thoughts were always on Anakin. Obi-Wan had never seen his master so distracted. Not when his old Padawan returned to terrorize the Temple. Nor when Tahl died. Not even when the pressing matters concerning the Sith and the Senate currently demanded more of his attention.

Obi-Wan had hoped that the Council's ruling about Anakin's Jedi training would have set Qui-Gon back in line, but instead, it made him even more defiant. It made Obi-Wan question himself as well.

It was no secret that Qui-Gon had not initially wanted Obi-Wan as a Padawan. Getting assigned to the Agri Corps and then being taken in by a Master was not the norm for Temple graduates. In fact, Obi-Wan didn't think it had _ever _happened before. Not before it happened to him, anyways. Definitely not after him either.

He had been disappointed --more like crushed-- when he was sent to Bandomeer. He had accepted the Force's will, however, and everything had worked out okay in the end. At least he was on track to be a Jedi again. There were so many moments though, when Obi-Wan had wondered if that truly was what he was supposed to do. He knew without a doubt that _he_ wanted it. But sometimes it was so very hard to totally trust the Force and be at peace with what had come to pass.

He _was_ Qui-Gon's Padawan.

He _was_ destined to be a Jedi.

Then why did he have such a distaste for Anakin?

It was probably the way Qui-Gon and Anakin seemed totally at ease with each other. Like they were meant to be together. Like Qui-Gon should have waited for Anakin to come along and be his Padawan instead of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan's rational mind knew that if Qui-Gon had not taken Obi-Wan as his Padawan, there was no way of knowing if he would have come across Anakin in the first place at all. Obi-Wan's emotional mind, however, still beat out a doubtful tune.

Sighing, he flung back his warm bed covers and swung his long legs over the edge of his sleep cough. Without bothering to turn on the light, he headed for the door that led to the refresher he shared with his master. He wanted to be ready to leave for Naboo as soon as Qui-Gon called him.

His progress came to an abrupt halt as he tripped over a fleshy-soft mound not two paces in front of his bed. The mound let out a deep grunt, but it did not yield much and Obi-Wan was sent sprawling across the floor.

He skidded to a stop close enough to the door that it triggered the automatic open. The door slid open and shut before Obi-Wan had regrouped enough to right himself. He held his breath as his Jedi-honed hearing detected rustlings of someone rolling over. He finally exhaled as the sounds of slow, undisturbed breaths hit his ears.

Obi-Wan breathed his own sigh of relief that he did not wake the kid. Ever since they had landed on Tatooine and his master had picked up the stray 'Force anomaly', Obi-Wan had felt more than a little ignored. And despite his Jedi upbringing, he could not completely suppress all the fleeting pangs of jealousy, hurt, and fear towards both the boy and his own master. Over the past few days since leaving the desert world and returning to Coruscant, there were several times he had answered his master a little too harshly… many times to Anakin.

It did not help Obi-Wan that the kid seemed to gravitate towards him either. Anakin was constantly stepping on Obi-Wan's robes, popping up at the most inconvenient times, interrupting his meditation, never giving him a moment of peace. Even when they slept, Anakin would start on a mat in Qui-Gon's room, but by morning, he would have migrated to Obi-Wan's floor.

At least he had not woken up this time when Obi-Wan tripped over him.

The door started another cycle and it finally dawned on Obi-Wan that he had to move out of the way to get it to stop opening and closing. The hall light briefly cast a rectangular glow on the sleeping figure he had tripped on. What Obi-Wan saw made him do a double take.

The person was much too long to be a sleeping pint-sized kid like Anakin. Thinking further, Obi-Wan realized that Anakin's voice was much too young and high to emit the deep grunt he heard earlier. And his foot had connected with a much stronger, more solid side that a normal nine-year-old should not have possessed.

Shaking his head and blinking the remainders of sleep from his eyes did not make the strange vision go away, but Obi-Wan was too stunned to do much else.

_I have a bad feeling about this…_

* * *

Gohan had been sleeping soundly, oblivious to his surroundings and Obi-Wan's reluctant awakening. Gohan usually woke with the sun, a habit he had picked up surviving in the wilderness eons ago. And in the darkness of Obi-Wan's room, Gohan had no reason to stop sleeping. His slumber abruptly ended as a jab of pressure hit his side. He grunted and rolled over, paying no attention to the clumsy fall of his kicker. He _was _greeted by Goten every morning, after all. Noise control was not a concept easily understood by little brothers.

The room brightened and dimmed a few times causing Gohan's brain to conclude that it must be time to wake up. He groggily registered that his brother almost never truly woke him up, so he must have really overslept today.

A dull pain spread from the spot he was attacked and it was then that Gohan realized the kick had actually hurt. Ever since Gohan had returned home, Goten had refrained from pouncing on him in the mornings, acknowledging the injuries that still needed to heal. So why would he start pouncing now? And so early?

His sensitive demi-Saiyan hearing picked up the sounds of breathing behind him. A faint whoosh later and the light reappeared again. Gohan blinked and his eyes widened as he registered his surroundings before another whoosh killed the light.

He was not in his bed… he wasn't in _any _bed. He was on the floor… but it wasn't _his _floor.

His own breathing quickened as he heard the other breaths pick up pace. The light appeared again and this time Gohan turned over towards its source.

Two pairs of confused, wide eyes met.

The door closed again but neither person moved. Did they really see someone else? Where did they come from? What was going on?

Both held their breath, frozen in their spots. The door slid open yet again, allowing both to see the other more clearly.

Gohan blinked at the sandy-haired person sitting on the floor in front of him. He wore what looked to be a lightly colored, more form-fitting gi similar to his own; his feet were bare. The light shadowed his view so Gohan could not get a good look at the other's face, but if the sharp intake of breath was any indicator, he was just as surprised as Gohan himself.

Obi-Wan drew in a startled breath as he registered the presence of the spiky haired stranger in his room. The stranger's dark, wild hair matched the color of his almost comically wide eyes. He wore what looked like a baggy, white long-sleeved tunic and overly baggy pants.

The door finally slid closed again, extinguishing the light for another cycle. This time, however, both figures went into action.

In the blink of an eye, Obi-Wan had jumped across the room back towards the bed. Gohan did a double take at the speed of the stranger. He jumped towards the door himself as the stranger grabbed a slim cylindrical object off the bedside table.

It was Gohan's presence this time that triggered the door mechanism again, causing it to slide open. Gohan stood in a defensive stance, his senses on high alert. Obi-Wan held his lightsaber at the ready. The door closed again and two urgent-filled distressed voices pierced the silence.

"Mom!"

"Master!"

* * *

* * *

**[Goten's Room, Son Residence, Earth]**

Goku gazed at the boy sleeping soundly on his younger son's bedroom floor. What secrets did he have? Where did he come from - and more importantly, was he and his companion a threat?

Goku's gut instinct told him, no, the two kids were not a threat. His gut instinct also told him that while they weren't a threat, their very presence was still important in finding Gohan and Piccolo. It probably wasn't a coincidence that they showed up where they did, at the time they did, either. Goku's gut instinct had never let him down before and he had no intention to not trust it now.

It was for these reasons alone that, when the scents of Chi Chi's breakfast reached Goku's nose, he did not hesitate in leaving his post for a few minutes. They had decided a few hours earlier to split the strangers up and wait until morning to start questioning them. Vegeta was presently in Gohan's room watching the girl. Goku had taken the boy into Goten's without any problem; the kid had hardly flinched during the relocation. Now, however, his stomach demanded food -- another gut instinct Goku was all too happy to indulge.

* * *

The sound of his father quietly closing the door behind him was enough to wake Goten from the shallow sleep he was experiencing. The little boy sighed as memories of the previous night flooded his semi-consciousness. His brother had not come home by the time his mom had sent him to bed and even with the start of a new day, Goten still felt terrible. Gohan had left the house angry, something he very rarely did, and what made it worse was that Goten had been the one to put him in such a bad mood. That was what perplexed the youngest Son most of all. He could not honestly understand why Gohan got so upset at him. He had been doing whatever it was a lot lately, and although Goten chose to ignore most of it, Gohan had been rather moody since he had returned home.

He wished he could just grow up so he could ask Gohan what he was doing wrong without fear that he was asking in some childish way that would make his brother even more upset. Goten hated feeling like there was something between him and Gohan. He had hated it for three months.

Sighing, he flung back his covers and rolled out of bed. Goten did not sense his brother in his room, but maybe Gohan had returned and left again while he had slept. Maybe there would be a response scrawled under the written apology he had left on Gohan's desk.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Goten headed towards the door to check his brother's room. His progress was halted as his foot caught on something fleshy-soft and he tripped. Twin _oofs_ and a thud broke the silence of the little room.

Goten held his throbbing head as he sat up to see what he tripped on.

Anakin --now fully awake-- rolled over, ready to apologize to Obi-Wan for sleeping in the way again.

Two pairs of confused, wide eyes met.

Both boys blinked simultaneously, unsure if they were really seeing what their brains were processing.

In a flash, both had sprung up on their feet and planted themselves where they stood. Never taking their eyes off the other they sounded matching, urgent cries.

"Master Qui-Gon!"

"Gohan!"

* * *

**[Gohan's Room, Son Residence, Earth]**

Shrill young voices pulled Padmé out of her unusually deep sleep. She squinted as bright morning sun flooded her eyes. Rolling on her side, her arm flopped lazily over the edge of the bed. She found it unusual considering she slept in the center of a normally large bed… and even the one in her room at the Senatorial Plaza was spacious enough for a queen.

_Wait a second… bright sunlight? In the middle of the night in a windowless center room of the Plaza? Smaller bed than I remember falling asleep in? _

Bolting upright, she scanned the strange, homey… personal… room. Neatly arranged desk, pictures on the nightstand, shadowy dark man with bulging muscles and wild hair by the door…

_Dark man… with bulging muscles and wild hair… _

_Shadowy… muscles… man… wild hair… _

_Stars, that _hair_… _

Padmé did the only thing she could think of. She screamed for help.

"Guards!--"

Her cry was cut off almost as quickly as it began and Padmé immediately found herself unable to move. A gloved hand was clamped over her mouth, an arm was wrapped around her side pinning her own arms in place. A sinister voice whispered in her ear.

"I suggest you refrain from yelling. There is no one to answer your pathetic cries for assistance."

A taller muscled man burst through the door at that moment, his younger twin hugging his neck, and a familiar-looking sandy-haired boy firmly in his arms, struggling fruitlessly to escape. A weary sigh passed through her captor's lips.

"Except for Kakarott."

Padmé blinked, unsure if she had really heard the low comment. Her wonder passed quickly when the tall one began speaking. He had strange hair as well…

_Focus Padmé, focus!_

"Let her go Vegeta."

"She was going to alert every hearing being here to Capsule Corp of her presence, Kakarott."

"Yeah, but she won't scream anymore. You just startled her, right?"

Padm's eyes grew big and she tried unsuccessfully to nod under…Vegeta's… durasteel grip. At the sight of the girl, the boy in… Kakarott's… arms froze. Once she could see his face, it was no wonder Padmé thought the boy looked familiar.

"Padmé?"

"Mphfmn?"

Goku let the kid down and Vegeta reluctantly released his hold of the girl. The two scrambled for each other and an abbreviated happy reunion ensued. Then an annoyed voice reminded them of their present situation.

"Goku! Vegeta! You better not be--"

Chi Chi stormed into her eldest son's room, veritably fuming. She took in the scene, her heart melting at the sight of the two huddled figures on the floor.

"What did you do to them?"

She glared at the two strongest beings on the planet, and for those unblinking moments, neither one would have gone against her word if their lives depended on it.

"N-nothing, Chi Chi, I swear!"

Goku backed up a step, intentionally putting distance between him and his wife, unintentionally squishing Goten between himself and Gohan's bookshelf. Goten squeaked and wormed himself out of the way. He dropped to the ground and stood protectively next to his mom. Vegeta noticed Goten almost mirror-imaged how the strange boy stood by the strange girl.

Chi Chi was still glaring at Goku when she realized how quiet it had become. Giving him her _we'll talk later _look, she surveyed the rest of the room. Nobody had moved. The strange children looked absolutely terrified, so young and so alone, frozen in the middle of Goten's room.

Someone had to do _something_.

She glanced over at Vegeta. Something that didn't involve beating the poor things senseless.

Taking control of the awkward situation, Chi Chi gently nudged Goten to the side and stepped towards the strangers. She stood tall, offering a hand to the young girl still kneeling on the floor.

"Hello there. My name is Son Chi Chi. This is my husband Goku, younger son Goten, and that over there is Vegeta. Somehow you ended up in my older son's bedroom during the night."

Tentatively, Padmé accepted the outstretched arm to stand. She, too, stood tall and with a refinement that caught Vegeta's attention immediately.

"My name is Padmé. This here is Anakin."

"What do you do?"

Vegeta's harsh voice startled everyone.

"Vegeta!"

Chi Chi shot off another stern look at Vegeta but he persisted. Padmé tried to draw her gaze away from the bottomless black orbs locked on her, but to her surprise, she could not. She was paralyzed. Not out of fear... but out of understanding.

He knew her.

"What is it that you do?"

"I - I am a hand maiden for Queen Amidala, ruler of the Naboo."

* * *

* * *

**[Obi-Wan's room, Jedi Temple, Coruscant]**

Qui-Gon shot a sidelong glance at his Padawan. He stood by the door, where he had stopped upon entering the room after hearing Obi-Wan's cries. While he could not tell if the stranger before him had any hostile intentions, there was no need to be unprepared. His hand went to his own lightsaber, but he waited for the stranger to make the first move before he remove it from the hilt.

Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief when his master had arrived. He might have been ready to take the trials, but Obi-Wan still felt like he needed his master around to show him what to do sometimes. Like now.

Obi-Wan was totally and utterly confused. It was a very disturbing feeling considering how he was raised. 'Trust the Force' was the golden rule to Jedi living. Obi-Wan knew his master was right when he said he still had much to learn of the living Force. But nothing he had experienced came close to describing what Obi-Wan was presently feeling.

The stranger had not moved since he jumped away from Qui-Gon's entrance. Although it was a stance Obi-Wan did not recognize, he could tell that the person was skilled in some form of combat art. From the look in his onyx eyes, Obi-Wan guessed he was as seasoned as any Knight. He showed no fear, although Obi-Wan picked up a hint of… confusion? He could not speak for the stranger, but _he_ certainly felt confused.

* * *

With the addition of the other older person, Gohan snapped out of his panicked confusion and switched his brain to battle mode. He had to figure out where he was, what was going on, and how to get back home. He assessed the two strangers, still very wary of the younger one's speed. Both of their power levels stayed constant and low, around the average of a healthy active normal human. As he stretched his senses beyond the room however, the surreal panic started chilling his blood again.

He detected many people within the building. Not all of them were human. Not all of them were weak. Gohan was much stronger than them all --even at rest-- but he wondered where they could have come from. Feeling out further, he found something even more disturbing. As far as he could detect, there were tons of living beings crammed together. More densely populated than Satan City, much more even than when Capsule Corp had its annual Global Invention Convention. And to Gohan it felt like the entire area was that way. Much too crowded to be Earth.

Gohan tensed and slowly began to power up. No use being caught unprepared, especially since he wasn't at full health. As soon as he started, however, both strangers' faces paled, shock replacing their previous stoic expressions. They simultaneously raised their slim cylinders and with a _snap-hiss_, a light beam emanated from one end.

Then it was Gohan's turn to gawk. He had never felt anything like the energy that glowed blue and green from the young and older strangers' tubes.

His first instinct was to reach out and feel it, try to analyze how they managed to produce such a sight. The energy felt so pure, so wild, like it barely stayed within the boundaries the cylinder set for it. Gohan knew how to manipulate ki, he frequently 'juggled' ki spheres when he got bored and Vegeta had shown him how to cut with weak ki beams years ago. But the ki spheres eventually dissipated, and the cutting beams were hard to regulate at such low levels. From the way they were brandishing their 'swords', Gohan doubted the strangers had weapons that would fail anytime soon.

Thanks to the older stranger's presence, the door slid open once more and Gohan wasted no time in making his exit.

* * *

In all his years traveling the galaxy, interacting with various life forms, Qui-Gon had never seen anything like what he saw --or did not see-- in the dark haired stranger.

He showed no fear, only confusion and slight panic. With just a clench of his fist, the stranger suddenly started harnessing the Force. Not just allowing it to flow through him like Jedi are taught, no, he was actually controlling it… controlling it very, very well. Obi-Wan must have sensed it too, because master and Padawan activated their lightsabers simultaneously. At this, the stranger stopped his Force pull and then he disappeared.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan simply stared at each other. Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"He just appeared, Master. I thought I tripped over Anakin again."

Qui-Gon groaned at the mention of his new charge. After hearing of their assignment to escort the Queen to Naboo, he had told Obi-Wan to get some rest. Qui-Gon had also put Anakin in his room to take a short nap while he ran some errands. When he returned and did not find Anakin on the spare sleep mat, he assumed the boy had indeed ended up with Obi-Wan again. If Anakin wasn't with Obi-Wan, where had he gone?

Urgent tugs in the Force made Qui-Gon put aside Anakin's whereabouts on hold. The stranger's accumulated Force stood out like a beacon to Qui-Gon's senses.

"Later, Obi-Wan. Come on."

They ran out the door, following the enormous gathering of Force and trail of Temple inhabitants that had stopped to gawk at the passing blur of power.

* * *

**[Jedi Temple apex, Coruscant]**

Piccolo pulled himself out of the deep meditation he used as sleep. He noted angrily that he could have spent several more hours, and he wondered what his conscious senses had picked up that was so pressing. Some say that sleep is the body's way of going offline, taking a break from its constant job of recording the sensory input that makes up a person's collective consciousness. As a person wakes up, all the senses have to turn back on so the body can continue on its journey of life. It only takes a fraction of a second, but to a being as well-trained as Piccolo, it was more than enough time for him to analyze everything his body told him.

His hearing reported first.

_Loud. Chaotic._

Piccolo grimaced as his ears were barraged with so much noise -- too much noise, foreign sounds. Piccolo made it a point to stay as far away from civilization as possible, as often as possible... but that did not mean he did not know every sound and smell there was on Earth.

He started smelling odd aromas next. Just the number of unfamiliar scents that he picked up told Piccolo he could no longer be on Earth. He reluctantly opened his eyes.

Twenty West Cities crammed together on Roshi's island did not even begin to describe the densely packed expanse before him. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes crisscrossed the air on multiple levels. Buildings towered over the horizon, taller than Korin's Tower and the Lookout.

Piccolo breathed a sigh of relief as his ki detecting capabilities finally returned. His happiness was short lived, however, as he focused on the unseen world around him. There were hundreds -- no, _thousands _of kis strong enough to make him worry. None of them were near the levels of the human fighters on earth, but some were close. Delving deeper into his vast knowledge banks, Piccolo struggled to put a finger on the gentle tug he'd been experiencing since he 'woke' here.

It hit him like a ton of bricks. The feeling of life, of being _alive…_ of simply being. He had never experienced it for himself, but Kami had. The essence of All Life, of Everything. It comforted him as much as it confused him. Why was he suddenly so aware of that simple sense of being? Where was it coming from?

It took only a moment for Piccolo to locate the origin of the strange awareness. He flinched when he realized the source of the unseen life force amassed itself right under his nose. Literally. The structure he floated above was practically crawling with energy so pure and untainted that he felt youthful and almost unworthy even to know it was there.

He felt around some more and was startled to feel the energy flowing through what must have been other life forms, allowing them to manipulate it. While the others were not anywhere near him or the other Z fighters in physical strength, Piccolo felt that most were skilled at using this raw energy to their needs. His sudden interest in seeing what they were doing was abruptly overshadowed by a familiar presence making itself known.

Piccolo immediately dropped from his perch, frantically searching the immense structure for a way inside. He easily locked onto Gohan's panicked, elevating ki.

"Hang on kid, I'm on my way."

* * *

**[Somewhere in the Jedi Temple, Coruscant]**

Gohan was lost.

It was not the first time, nor would it be his last, although he wished that when he did lose his way, it did not have to be so far from reality.

He practically flew through the maze of hallways and vaulted ceilings, trying vainly to get away from the odd stares and prying eyes of everyone and every_thing_ he came in semi-close proximity to. He had barely powered up, yet he felt like he stuck out more conspicuously than Hercule's hairstyle. Gohan was moving much faster and quieter than normal humans could detect, but just about everyone he passed had followed his path; at the very least they paused and looked around.

He had no idea where he was, but he was pretty sure he had circled around a couple of times. The stress of emotions he felt from the massive amounts of extra people mixed with the events of his day and the pain his body was in. The result was a very confused demi-Saiyan, whose ki was slowly growing.

"Hey you! Stop!"

Gohan froze at the sound of an urgent voice. He was shocked that he actually understood it. Somehow it did not seem right that he should be stuck in such a strange world and actually know something as basic as the language. Maybe the Kais did believe in giving him a break once in a while… it was a big maybe.

He whirled around to see the one who originally woke him up as well as the older one. Both still held their energy beams like swords. Both still looked as confused and determined as himself. Unfortunately, for Gohan at least, they had also drawn a crowd. Several others rushed to the aid of the two, drawing energy beams of their own. Gohan's heart sank to his feet. He was surrounded, being ganged up on when he did not want to fight. Since he was not home, he felt no need to protect anything and, from what he could tell, felt no need to protect anyone.

He really did not want to hurt the strangers, and quite frankly, was not sure if he would fight back if they attacked him. They were inside. There were many lives sheltered under this structure. Gohan could tell that even powering up to full strength could bring the walls down. He was also afraid of what might happen… if he somehow lost control.

Aside from physically recovering, Gohan had spent the majority of his free time with Piccolo and Dende, getting to know himself again, reconnecting with parts he had ignored and suppressed for too long. Since he still had that poison in him --and he obviously wasn't meant to die quite yet-- Gohan had to learn how to live with it somehow. The only problem was that there was no way for him to test if he had built up enough will power to keep the poison's influence in check. Well, if the kais meant to check on his progress this way, Gohan thought it was a pretty lousy test.

* * *

Obi-Wan breathed heavily, his forehead beaded with sweat. He was not taxed physically, no, he was much more uptight because of the kid standing across from him. They had followed the stranger and ended up in one of the Temple atriums, not too far from his own room. In fact, they stood at the last lobby where all the private quarters branched off from. He glanced up at the wall chronometer.

_Whatever is going to happen better happen soon. The young kids should be coming back from dinner any minute now._

Several other knights had drawn their lightsabers and situated themselves in a loose circle around the kid. He still seemed unfazed, although Obi-Wan doubted he was as calm as he appeared.

No, it was not in his nature for Gohan to stay calm. He was, after all, half Saiyan, whose millennia of battle stirred quite a bloodlust at the prospect of danger. The other half of his genes came from one, Son Chi Chi, whose fiery temper and fearlessness kept her family in line and everyone else quiet. In any stressful situation, Gohan's first instincts screamed at him to get involved. He was, however, also very strong-willed, taking after both parents, and hated confrontations of any sort -- _especially_ with the prospect of danger. So Gohan's biggest problem was actually deciding what to do. Should he execute a swift victory or try to reason with the strangers?

He obviously wanted to choose the latter, but the stalemate they were at kept Gohan's defenses tight and his options limited.

There. He felt it. The familiar presence he had learned to trust first. Piccolo.

Relief coursed through Gohan. He glanced around and prepared to track down his mentor. His eyes locked briefly on Obi-Wan's before he began the power up to fly.

* * *

Obi-Wan stood transfixed with his gaze locked on the stranger's eyes. For just a moment, time stood still, but it was more than enough. In that instant, they connected.

As soon as the stranger pulled his eyes away, several things happened so fast that by the time Obi-Wan reacted, it was too late. First, he felt a tug in the Force around the stranger, like he had back in his room. Then the young kids returned from dinner with their Masters, chattering together as they ambled through one hall. An instant later, the door to another hall burst open, revealing an imposing green giant.

* * *

With the arrival of the white-cloaked green fellow, the young stranger relaxed slightly. His almost imperceptible change in posture was all Qui-Gon needed. More experienced than his Padawan, he had been waiting for this sort of opportunity to take action. Before he even registered Obi-Wan's cry to stop, Qui-Gon sent a Force wave at the stranger, hoping to knock him off balance.

* * *

Gohan was silently cheering as Piccolo came into view when he felt it. A wave of pure, unharnessed ki was heading straight for him. He had no time to block it, nor would he have known how to block such a thing. It only managed to knock him into the air a few feet before he managed to stop himself, but its effects were as drastic as being blasted by the pure energy of a kamehameha.

Raw power coursed through Gohan's whole body immediately trying to find an outlet. Since he was already powering up, his body was preparing for a jump in power, but the rush of this strange new ki immediately threatened to overwhelm him.

* * *

Piccolo hurried after Gohan's ki signature, skidding to a halt as the dark haired teen finally came into view. A gasp quickly replaced his brief sigh of relief as he felt a strange ki emanate from one of the onlookers and wash over the demi-Saiyan. He barely remained upright from the concussive ki burst that subsequently rocked the room.

* * *

* * *

* * *

**_Author Notes:_**_ Jess politely informed me that a Jedi as well trained as Obi-Wan would never have tripped over Gohan in the first place. He would have sensed him the moment he woke up, he should have at least registered _something's_ presence in his room, etc. I totally agree with her. When I think of a Jedi, I think of calm, cool, composed, alert. _

_In my defense I will say this. Aside from the fact that I am the author, I had to get Gohan and Piccolo in Star Wars Land _somehow_. Sticking Gohan in Obi-Wan's room just worked for me. Poor Obi-Wan is totally stressed out at the moment, lacking proper rest, and dealing with the previous events of the day as well as preparing for what's to come. He's distracted and worn out. Give the kid a break. I'm not always 100% attentive and in tune with the Force on a grood day. Feeling both great and good. I say even a Jedi has an off-day once in a while. They are, after all, only human… er, humanoid… umm… they are, after all, merely mortal. _

* * *

7/14/2004


End file.
